Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB)

The pain that I experienced today seemed like Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITB).

ITB syndrome can result from any activity that causes the leg to turn inward repeatedly. This can include wearing worn-out shoes, running downhill or on banked surfaces, running too many track workouts in the same direction, or simply running too many miles. Unlike many overuse injuries, however, ITB pain afflicts seasoned runners almost as much as beginners.

But it's not the knee, it's the ligament that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin. "When the band comes near the knee, it becomes narrow, and rubbing can occur between the band and the bone. This causes inflammation," says Freddie H. Fu, M.D., a Pittsburgh orthopedic surgeon and chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Marathon.

How can you tell if you have ITB syndrome? "The best way is to bend your knee at a 45-degree angle. If you have an ITB problem, you'll feel pain on the outside of the knee," says Dr. Fu

In my case, I believe it must have been the sand portion at the NB Real Run which had me using my left leg as support, and possibly aggravated by some increased downhill running over the past few days too.

More information and resources for ITB can be found at the following:

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2000/0...fredericson.htm

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033...-0-2861,00.html

http://www.sportsmed.buffalo.edu/info/iliotibial.html

http://www.itbs.info/index.html

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archiv...ee-injuries.htm

http://www.time-to-run.com/injuries/thebig5/itb.htm